The lawmakers lamented that while there were existing laws to check sex-related crimes, the rate was rising due to the failure by security agencies to enforce the laws.

The condemnation came when the Deputy Majority Leader, Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah, moved a motion titled, ‘Urgent need to investigate the alarming rate of rape and sexual assault against women, children and vulnerable people across the country’.

In the motion, Na’Allah said, “The Senate notes the frightening increase in cases of sexual violence, notably rape, where more than half of the victims are minors, children below the age of consent.

“The Senate further notes that in most of these cases, the perpetrators are usually familiar neighbours, employers of labour and close family members; and it is concerned that the activities of these sexual predators constitute a serious security threat to the larger segment of our society and are severely underreported.”

Na’Allah lamented that the perversion was spreading across the country, with both the male and female genders as victims “especially in view of the poor prosecution and conviction numbers being turned out.”

He added, “The Senate is disturbed that on a nearly daily basis, our newspapers are awash with reports of rape and other sexual violence. It observes that these acts portray the country in a bad light and are alien to both our cultural and religious orientation as a people.”

The lawmakers unanimously granted the prayers of the motion, including to “urge the Inspector-General of Police to investigate and prosecute cases of sexual abuse, violation and violence in line with the provisions of the extant laws of the federation.

They also mandated the Senate Committees on Health; Women Affairs; and Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters “to engage relevant stakeholders with a view to resolving these issues.”

The lawmakers also “urge all heads of courts to revisit the sentencing policy on all sexual offences and domestic violence to address the seriousness it deserves.”

Seconding the motion, Senator Ben Murray-Bruce said many rape cases were usually not reported.

“A few years ago, we heard of a report from Lagos State which basically said rape was the number one crime in Lagos; not armed robbery or assassination. Boko Haram is occupying too much space in the media, yet it is not the number one crime. The number one crime in Nigeria today is rape,” he said.

While describing sexual violence as “a very serious issue,” the lawmaker warned that “there will be a time when our mothers and sisters – 70 per cent of Nigerian women – will be rape victims.”

He added, “The laws may be there but they are not being enforced.”

Senator Ali Wakili explained that the rampant cases of sexual crimes indicated the level of moral degeneration in the society.

Wakili stated, “There are extant laws, not that there are no extant laws. But it is we, the people, who are supposed to ensure that these laws work. If all our clerics from the divides have always been talking about fine cars, prosperity and good jobs without talking about righteousness, I think we are doomed.”

In her submission, the Deputy Minority Whip, Senator Abiodun Olujimi, said the rising trend of rape had shown that Nigerians were losing their human feelings.

Olujimi added, “More than anything else, there is a mental situation attached to anyone that rapes a woman, a child or anybody. The issue of paedophiles now abounds in Nigeria; people who are raping underage children and it affects all us because anyone raped gets disoriented. They lose it all, and that is not fair.

“Somehow, the people who are supposed to enforce our laws on rape are complicit in this matter. If not, where have they been when all these are happening in the ‘Centre of Excellence’, Lagos; Abuja, Kaduna and Kano. People are being raped on a daily basis and people are turning their eyes away from these heinous crimes.”

Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the plenary, called on victims of sexual violence to report cases to government agencies.

Ekweremadu said, “The major problem in all these has been that people find it difficult to report incidents of rape. People die in silence; they bear the pain in silence. I think that now society is coming up to ensure that we know what happens to them. As long as people are reporting incidents of rape to the police, I am sure that investigations will take place.

“We need to call on our ladies and whoever is raped to take the bold step and report to the appropriate agencies. I am sure that they will not take it lightly.”

Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.

Let Senate,politicians and spiritualist be aware that the poverty they created gave birth to all manner of immorality and frustrated citizens who are easily lured into evil while looking for fake prosperity tru raping of infant and aged women.
Senate stop corruption bfor you can advise the citizen bcs your attitude created this mess.

Dejandon

Are you a rapist or how can you be making such an excuse for an act that is gross and grossly inexcusable? So poverty is responsible for rape too? Your moral mindset is pathetic

Bosun Olayiwola

No I’m not,Just emphasizing how poor governance gave birth to many ills in the nation even frustrated men who believe raping minors as means to wealth bcs of evil spiritualist.

AzeezSemiuOladele

This is what we called warped logic. lol. Rape and abuse of minors are on the rise because there is no commensurate punishment for the offence in Nigeria. Either they are set free for “lack of evidence” or just given light sentence.
In Saudi Arabia, rape attracts death sentence. Individual would think twice before committing the crime therefore, rape incidences are very low.
In India just like Nigeria, no serious punish. Therefore rape incidences are very high because offenders are usually go unpunished.

simplelike chuck

Folks, I don’t know if anyone understands the the meaning of the word “rape” as I do – forcefully having sex with a person against his or her will…! However in recent times I’ve been reading about grandfathers penetrating pre-minors sexually. This to me is not rape! This is because the babies penetrated had no ability whatsoever to resist. So there was nothing like force. Force is when you breakthrough a “resistance !” This baby attack is worst than rape, it’s worst than murdering that baby even. It’s a top notch , classless evil.

Therefore, those criminals demeaning, dehumanising and killing the souls of our babies should be injected with anthrax. Keep them to rot gradually and die miserably slowly. In fact no amount of punishment can equal a crime of that height. I wonder if all evil are resident in Nigeria.